Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The more I learn to understand people (myself included), the more I find that each of us brings our own eye wear to a situation. Those glasses (or lenses) help us see the world in a very unique way. As a result, we can use our experiences and the understanding of those experiences to be creative and unlock the mysteries of our world.

At the same time, those glasses can lead us to see only what we want or have been trained to see. As my friend Scott Ross​ once said, "We apply meaning where there is no meaning." We take someone's action and assume meaning based on our own perspectives, experiences, beliefs, bias, interests, and known patterns. Unfortunately, our perspectives may seem real, justified, and the truth (as we know it), but I've learned that it's not always the case.

How then do we deal with the knowledge that our perspective is not the entire truth? In my opinion, it requires one to remain open to other views, experiences, and perspectives. It is when we seek to understand the other points of view that what is true becomes clear.